It is a special pleasure to introduce
R. T. (Dick) France's commentary to the
pastoral and scholarly community, who
should find it a truly exceptional —
and helpful — volume." So says Gordon
Fee in his preface to this work.
France's masterful commentary on
Matthew focuses on exegesis of
Matthew's text as it stands rather than
on the prehistory of the material or
details of Synoptic comparison. The
exegesis of each section is part of a
planned literary whole supplemented,
rather than controlled, by verse-by-
verse commentary, allowing the text as
a complete story to come into brilliant
focus.
Rather than being a "commentary on
commentaries," The Gospel of Matthew is
concerned throughout with what Matthew
himself meant to convey about Jesus and
how he set about doing so within the
cultural and historical context of
first-century Palestine. France
frequently draws attention to the
distinctive nature of the province of
Galilee and the social dynamics
involved when a Galilean prophet
presents himself in Jerusalem as the
Messiah.
The English translation at the
beginning of each section is France's
own, designed to provide the basis for
the commentary. This adept translation
uses contemporary idioms and, where
necessary, gives priority to clarity
over literary elegance.
Amid the wide array of Matthew
commentaries available today, France's
world-class stature, his clear focus on
Matthew and Jesus, his careful
methodology, and his user-friendly
style promise to make this volume an
enduring standard for years to come.